HAARLEM _ On May 16, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands will formally open Feadship’s 4th yard, a facility in the Port of Amsterdam where the Dutch custom builder can make, repair and refit yachts of up to 160m long.
The ceremony is part of festivities marking the 170th anniversary of Royal Van Lent Shipyard, a constituent member of the Feadship alliance, founded in 1949. The others are Royal De Vries Shipbuilding and De Voogt Naval Architects. Feadship employs 1,800 people.
The yard’s opening reflects Feadship’s confidence in a future of continuing demand for very large, very luxurious yachts. It is not alone. Across the Netherlands, superyacht makers are building on spec to cut delivery times and have dozens of projects in-build right now.
Feadship’s Port of Amsterdam yard – barely 20 kms. (12 mi.) from the North Sea – shows early success in the bid by the Dutch superyacht industry to turn the Dutch capital into a superyacht destination.
